St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-18

pity, sympathy, kindness or generosity, where
the words father, mother, wife, child, cause
no Joy; where mercy never shielded the help
less; where selishness reigns Supreme-and
such q dreary region would be an earthly
Gehenna, land of torment, only lacking the
Tartareal fires to make it hell. Happily we
have no such home of despair on
any of our broad continents or sea-girt
islands. Yet whole tribes and nations have
gone so far towards eXtipguishing gracious
affections as TO give us Il faint conception of
what sort of world that would be i'll whose
confines utter hatred prevails over compass
sion and all the geutier elements. Our mis-
sionares tell us of barbarouS leagues among
SavageS whose sole bond of union is lust for
bloodshed. The Thugs, of India. make indis-
criminate murder their religious duty.
Boldly they have parade6 the streets of Cal
cutta with bands of music and thousands of
frantic followers. Even Anglo-SaXon nerve
and energy have done little thus far to abate
this enormous evil These enemies of man
kind defy British law and British bayonets.
Who that has been brought up among the
amenities of Christian culture could
bear 10 be compelled TO associate
for years, or forever. with such human
tigers? Yet these monsters are men, and are
capable OF passing from darkness to light,
from the purieus of he'll TO the peary gates
of heaven. l have seen the photographs of
seven converted thugs. They had washed
the blood from their hands. They were on
their knees. and from their swarthy faces
the sunlight drew no lneamentS of ferocitv.
The plying Jesus looked forth from their
piercing black eyes. We cannot maltreat or
persecute those whom we love. But men
may know a great deal about theology, and
about the theories of religion, and yet yield
to the secret currents Of hate. lust or avarice.
And just so far rs they do so, they are in Il
world of which fires and chains and impen-
etrable darkness are but the figures.
Second. The perfection or love is heaven.
Since God himself is love- the more strong the
sway of that power in its purest forms. the
nearer shall we be to the fountain of mex
hauStible JOY. There are good people who
have great deal of heaven in their hearts.
Every one that loveth is born of God:" i. e.,
all true love originates with Him. The in
Stinctive tenderness of hen for its brood, or
of a lonness for her whelps is the
direct result of creative agency. God
makes the mother so that she cannot
well help loving her child. Her love grows
with the revolving years. When Grant was
ut the height of his fame an ardent a6mirer
praised him i'll the hearing of the generals
aged mother. In glowing terms he spoke of
him as a warrior, hero, Il man of genius and
renown. ITO you ne may be all that said
she, but to me he is just my boy" And so
with that other mother whose son had been
sian III a brawl. Men spoke harshly of his
vices and crimes; but she only Sobbed "Oh,
my boy! The son that l so loved, and now
he is dead, dead!'' Who teaches mothers
thus to love their sons? And so
with ilial, conjugal or fraternal
love. Every honest, pure, self-sacrficing
love reaches out its arms heavenward. The
entire round of earth-born affections are in
such q sense also heayen-born, that they
might be made so many stepping-stones to-
ward the skies if men would only thus use
them. Love leads to obedience, and obedi-
ence eXemplities love. Religion does not up
root the affections implanted by nature She
encourages their growth. She trains them
to grasp objects that are high and holy; until
their tendrils let go of all frail supports to
cling forever about the Tree of Life. The
many stars in the Redeemer's crown are the
souls that have loved Him.